Email Communication from the Board

The Virginia Board of Social Work primarily communicates with licensees and applicants by email regarding applications and renewals. Please ensure that you add the board’s email address (socialwork@dhp.virginia.gov) to your safe recipient list to ensure that you receive all email communication from board staff.

Mid-Level Licensure

The 2017 Virginia General Assembly passed House Bill 614, which authorizes the Board of Social Work to license baccalaureate social workers and master’s social workers. This legislation makes no changes to the current scopes of practice, but divides the current category of “Licensed Social Worker (LSW)” into two license types reflective of the education background: “Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW)” and “Licensed Master’s Social Worker (LMSW)”. This legislation became effective on July 1, 2018, and the changes to the Regulations, which will implement the requirements are currently under executive branch review. We hope the regulations will become effective this year. We will communicate updates as we receive them.

ASWB EXAM UPDATE – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2, 2018

The Association of Social Work Boards (“ASWB”) licensing exams are changing effective January 2, 2018. Please visit ASWB's website to learn more about the changes, read the 2017 Analysis of the Practice of Social Work and review the timeline for implementation.

Opioid Addiction Crisis Declared a Public Health Emergency in Virginia

On November 21, 2016 Governor McAuliffe issued a News Release stating that State Health Commissioner Marissa Levine has declared Virginia’s opioid abuse crisis a Public Health Emergency in the Commonwealth.

Application Information

Notice: Applications are typically processed within 6 weeks of the receipt of a complete file. Please refer to your online application checklist to ensure that all items have been received. Incomplete applications will not be processed.

Renewal Explanation for 2015 Regulation Changes

In 2010, the Board introduced changes to the Regulations Governing the Practice of Social Work to require licensees to renew their license on an annual basis, rather than a biannual basis. The amended Regulations became effective on December 30, 2015. The Regulations now require that CE hours are completed prior to licensure renewal in even years beginning with the 2017 renewals. The chart below provides clarification as to the number of CE hours required for each renewal period.

2017 Renewal
Renewal: June 30, 2017

2018 Renewal
Renewal: June 30, 2018

2019 Renewal
Renewal: June 30, 2019

2020 Renewal
Renewal: June 30, 2020

FEE

CE

FEE

CE

FEE

CE

FEE

CE

Licensed Clinical
Social Worker (LCSW)

$90.00

30 hours of CE from 07/01/2015 to 06/30/2017

$90.00

15 hours of CE from 07/01/2017 to 06/30/2018
with a minimum of 1 hours of ethics, standards of practice or laws governing the practice of social work in Virginia.

$90.00

No CE required to renew license

$90.00

30 hours of CE from 07/01/2018 to 06/30/2020
with a minimum of 2 hours of ethics, standards of practice or laws governing the practice of social work in Virginia.

Licensed
Social Worker (LSW)

$65.00

15 hours of CE from 07/01/2015 to 06/30/2017

$65.00

7.5 hours of CE from 07/01/2017 to 06/30/2018
with a minimum of 1 hours of ethics, standards of practice or laws governing the practice of social work in Virginia.

$65.00

No CE required to renew license

$65.00

15 hours of CE from 07/01/2018 to 06/30/2020
with a minimum of 2 hours of ethics, standards of practice or laws governing the practice of social work in Virginia.

Registered Social Worker

$25.00

N/A

$25.00

N/A

$25.00

N/A

$25.00

N/A

Associate Social Worker

$25.00

N/A

$25.00

N/A

$25.00

N/A

$25.00

N/A

IMPORTANT PRACTICE INFORMATION!

If you work in a non-exempt setting, you are required to be licensed at the appropriate level or under board approved supervision in order to provide social work services to clients in Virginia in accordance with § 54.1-3701 of the Code of Virginia. For a list of exemptions from licensure, please review the Laws Governing Social Work by clicking here.

Online Services

Applicants for registration of supervision or licensure towards Licensed Social Worker or Licensed Clinical Social Worker can apply online. Click here to begin the online application process.

Existing Licensees can renew a license, change an address and request a duplicate license online.

Laws & Regulations

Guidance Documents

View and download the list of available
guidance documents from the Board of Social Work. These
documents provide information or guidance to the public to interpret or implement statutes
or the agency's rules or regulations.

Helpful Information

Address of Record: Section 54.1-2400.02.B of the Code of Virginia requires the Department
of Health Professions (DHP) to collect an official address of record from
each health professional to be used by DHP for agency purposes. The Code
also requires DHP to provide an opportunity for a health professional
to provide a second address for the purpose of public dissemination. If there is no second (public) address provided, the official address
of record will be used as the public address for the purpose of public
dissemination. If the health professional would prefer that
his/her address of record remain confidential, then an alternative public
address must be provided to DHP. (Note: the License Lookup feature on
the DHP public website does not contain the full address. However, public
addresses are available by contacting Virginia Interactive Premium Service
or the Board.) An individual is not required to submit a place of residence
for either the official address of record or the public address. A post
office box or a practice location is acceptable.

Changes to either address may be made at the time of renewal or at any
time by written notification to the Board. Changes to the address of record
may also be made at any time by accessing your licensure information through
the online system. Any change that is made to one of the addresses does
not automatically update the other address. Address information should
be kept current for the address of record and the public address (if different
from the address of record) at all times.